BMW 1 Series News

The next direction for a score of small, punchy BMWs: power down via the front wheels. When the Bavarians switch ends, they do so with vigour - up to 10 Minis and 12 BMWs over the next few years will be front-wheel drive.BMW last week launched the 2 Series Active Tourer (pictured), its first front-drive car, based on its modular UKL architecture. The platform promises neat interior packaging, fuel efficiency and economies of scale.Front-drive BMW and Mini vehicles will account for 800,000 of the 2 million annual sales the BMW Group hopes to achieve by 2020. To date the group has confirmed three- and five-door Minis and five- and seven-seat Active Tourers.The company's spokesman for 1 and 2 Series models, Kai Lichte, says any vehicle smaller than a 3 Series will use the front-drive platform, which also accommodates all-wheel-drive.In line with this, the existing rear-drive 1 Series and X1 SUV are tipped to move to front-drive at the end of their current product cycles.A further FWD candidate is expected to be the X2, with the same coupe-styled roofline as the existing X4 and X6.Lichte says there has been no decision on the X2. "That's one of the cars we are flexible to decide," he notes.The only junior model not yet confirmed for FWD is the 2 Series coupe, launched late last year, which has earned widespread approval among driving enthusiasts for its dynamics. Spy shots reveal BMW will soon launch a convertible 2 Series and a performance-oriented M2."Reaction to the 2 Series was overwhelmingly positive and we just introduced those cars so we have time to make a decision," Lichte says.Ultimately BMW plans to only have two platforms for all models: UKL for vehicles less than 4.5m long and a common rear-wheel-drive architecture for the rest - ranging in size from the 3 Series compacts to the 7 Series limos.

A member of the 2013 Australia's Best Cars judging panel says motorists are spoilt for choice right now. Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania general manager of roadside and technical Darren Moody -- who sits on the panel with judges from motorist clubs around Australia -- says new car buyers have access to record low interest rates and are still getting great value for money, despite a recent dip in the value of the Australian dollar.He and the 11 other judges from around the country had been trying to make life even easier for buyers, testing 50 vehicles in 15 categories for the 2013 best car awards.The awards, run by the Australian Automobile Association, involved all the state auto clubs. In October Mr Moody and the other judges spent six days at the Australian Automobile Research Centre at Anglesea in Victoria testing all the vehicles.The judges' choice this year was the Mazda6 Touring, winner of the category for best medium car under $50,000. "It brings premium features to the category," Mr Moody said. There was no winner in the people mover category this year. AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was the first time in the 13 years of the program that an award has been withheld."It's unfortunate that not one vehicle in that class meets the expectations of an Australia's Best Car," he said.Australia's Best Cars 2013Judges' choice: Mazda6 TouringBest light car: Renault Clio Expression TCe 120Best small car under $35,000: Hyundai i30 ActiveBest small car over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback TFSI CoDBest medium car under $50,000: Mazda6 TouringBest medium car over $50,000: BMW 320iBest large car under $60,000: Holden Commodore VF SV6Best large car over $60,000: Lexus GS350 F SportBest people mover: Award withheldBest sports car under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTIBest sports car $50,000-$100,000: BMW M135iBest SUV under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5iBest SUV $45,000-$65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDiBest Luxury SUV over $65,000: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDIBest all-terrain 4WD under $100,000: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6Best 4x4 Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XLRead the full story here. 

None of us wants to crash our shiny new car but, if we do, we want to know we're safe. That's where the Australian New Car Assessment Program's standardised crash-testing analysis is invaluable, providing comparable ratings for vehicles of all types.The ANCAP site notes that a one-star car is twice as likely to kill you as a five-star model. Carsguide examines ANCAP's results to find the best of breed in each segment. It's worth noting the advanced software in some cars that readies the vehicle if a crash is imminent are disabled during the official tests. Cars are scored out of 37 points after the following tests.FRONTAL OFFSET TEST: The subject vehicle is accelerated to 64km/h and rammed into a deformable alloy barrier to simulate a head-on crash. To increase the severity and reproduce real-world conditions only 40 per cent of the car hits the wall - equating to a driver swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle.SIDE IMPACT TEST: The T-bone hit rams a 950kg trolley into the side of the car at 50km/h. The sled has an alloy face to simulate the front of another vehicle, which deforms and absorbs some of the impact.PEDESTRIAN TEST: Simulates the results of hitting a pedestrian at 40km/h. The test assesses adult and child impacts, given their heads and limbs strike different areas of the car.POLE TEST: This is the most demanding test in the ANCAP repertoire. Trees and poles don't deform, so all the crash energy is transferred to the vehicle. The car is put on a sled and propelled towards a fixed steel pole at 29km/h.SAFEST SMALL CARSAUDI A3 36.41 See reviews of this carOfficially the best small car to occupy in an accident. Impressively, the windscreen pillar didn't move after a 64km/h hit with the concrete block.  HONDA INSIGHT 36.39 See reviews of this carIts score reflects a 3mm movement of the pillar in the frontal offset test and "slight risk" of serious leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 1 SERIES HATCH 36.33 See reviews of this carThere's a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver in the frontal and side crash test and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger in the frontal crash.   SAFEST MEDIUM CARSMERCEDES B-CLASS 36.78 See reviews of this carTops the charts with the highest score of any car in ANCAP database. Technically there's a 4mm movement of the front pillar and a slight risk of injury to the passenger leg closest the door.  BMW 3 SERIES 36.76 See reviews of this carBarely behind. It showed a 1mm movement of the pillar and there was a slight risk of serious injury to the driver's and passenger's legs.VOLVO V40 36.67 See reviews of this carThe only loss of points occurred during the frontal crash test, with a slight risk of serious injury to the front occupants' legs closest the door and the driver's chest.SAFEST LARGE CARSTOYOTA AURION 36.59 See reviews of this carFirst place in this class makes it the only locally built vehicle in any top-three line-up. There's a slight risk of lower leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 5 Series 36.53 See reviews of this carNot a bad place to be in the event of an accident either. It blitzed the side impact tests and only lost fractions of points in the head-on hit.    VOLVO S60 36.34 See reviews of this carSweden maintains its safety credentials. The passenger compartment stayed intact with only a 1mm movement of the front pillar.    SAFEST COMPACT SUVS SUBARU XV 35.53 See reviews of this carLike the slightly lower-riding Impreza, the XV scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.    HOLDEN TRAX 35.18 See reviews of this carThe surprise packet. One of the smaller cars in the class has only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.   Skoda Yeti 34.67 See reviews of this carDepite being one of the older examples in this segment, the Yeti still rates well for safety, with only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.    SAFEST MEDIUM SUVSVOLVO XC60 36.53 See reviews of this carANCAP says the cabin 'held its shape extremely well" in the frontal test, with the pillar shifting just 3mm. There was a slight risk of serious chest and leg injuries to the driver.  FORD KUGA 36.33 See reviews of this carA solid second, posing a slight risk of serious chest injury for both front seat occupants. The front pillar moved 15mm.   HONDA CR-V 35.91 See reviews of this carPlaced well despite being penalised for the foot-operated park brake moving upwards and back. Structurally there was only a 2mm movement of the pillar.  SUBARU FORESTER 35.64 See reviews of this carTested this year, it scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.   SUBARU OUTBACK 35.52 See reviews of this carFills the brand's quinella. Crashed in 2008 and at the time topped the charts as the safest vehicle ANCAP had tested. SAFEST LARGE SUVSMERCEDES-BENZ ML 36.34 See reviews of this car Luxury SUV has a slight risk of serious chest injury for driver and passenger in the head-on hit and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger. The pillar moved 2mm. RANGE ROVER 36.19 See reviews of this carBig Brit has a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver and the pillar shifted by 15mm.   NISSAN PATHFINDER 35.73 See reviews of this carSlight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. Unlike the other two, it applies to the upper leg as well as the expected lower-leg hits. Docked points for a marginal pedestrian impact result.

BMW has issued a safety recall for a total of 2894 cars sold between November 1 2012 and July 31 2013 for a defect that could see a lack of lubrication cause the vacuum pump to fail and reduce the effectiveness of the brake assist function that adds extra force for panic stops.The carmaker says however that the vehicles will still be able to brake under normal circumstances. "They don't lose braking ability, but still lose brake assistance," BMW Australia spokesperson Lenore Fletcher says. The affected vehicles are: the F20 1 Series; F30, F31 and F34 3 Series; F10 and F11 5 Series; E84 X1 compact crossover;  F25 X3 Series and E89 Z4 sports car.Fletcher says there have been no accidents or injuries, but a small number of vehicles have experienced the problem. "There have been about six or seven reports," she says. "We believe that only about 0.5 per cent of the vehicles in the recall will need fixing."An inspection taking less than an hour will determine if a vehicle needs the fix -- which will require up to another five hours. "We'll replace the component, and while parts can sometimes be an issue, ours are being airfreighted from Germany right now," Fletcher says. BMW says concerned owners should contact their nearest BMW service centre, or call 1800 813 299.

The 1 Series hatchback range now matches the pricing of Mercedes-Benz's A-Class, for which demand continues to exceed supply, the waiting list for the current range topper stretching to November. The Benz entrant outsells its BMW equivalent by some two to one.In Carsguide's April comparison test between the A250 Sport and the 125i the latter fell short on value and luxury. So if the drastic realignment smacks of desperation it has the effect of making the flagging Bavarian a good deal more competitive and indeed the best value in the model's two generation history.BMW boss Phil Horton says the range-wide revision resutls in some $5000 added value. It also marks the effective death knell of the manual BMW. Already a thing of the past in the 3 Series range on up, it is now history in its most driver-oriented passenger model.The eight speed torque converter automatic is standard to match Benz's non-optional seven speed twin clutch auto. The base 116i gains better upholstery and rear park distance control; the 118i, 118d and 125i get a nav system via 6.5-inch screen, enhanced smartphone connectivity including voice control and Bluetooth audio streaming. The 125i also cops 18-inch alloys and sports seats. The range topper M135i  -- soon to face off against the A45 AMG  -- gains fore and aft park distance control, top spec nav and internet functionality.Option packages are similarly polished up to the extent that the 116i can finally be had with rain sensing wipers. Metallic paint, leather upholstery and though-loading system amongst others are still extra costs items.The compact prestige price war becomes yet more intense in October with the arrival in of Benz's CLA four door coupe followed in the first half of next year with the GLA, an SUV built that like the CLA builds on the A-Class. BMW riposte later in 2014 with the 2 Series coupe and cabrio, developments of the 1 Series.

BMW has revised their 1 series hatches, adding $5000 of extra value with all but one model dropping by at least $700.The revamped hatches, which will be available in Australia as early as July, will have increased specifications and amended prices.With the exception of the 125i, all 1 series hatches receive a price drop. The 116i gets a $1700 price drop, 118i is $700 cheaper, the 118d drops by $1400, and the M135i is $3500 cheaper than the pre-revamp models. The 125i is $1400 more expensive than the previous rendition.BMW says that every aspect of the 1 series hatch has come under review, to ensure the best product for their customers.“This revision has resulted in over $5000 of added value for the dynamic 1 Series hatch, in some cases much more,” Phil Horton, BMW Australia Managing Director said, “the entry point into the BMW brand has never been better value.”The entry level 116i, which starts at $35,600, gets an upgrade to ‘sensatec’ upholstery, and rear park distance control.The 118i, 118d and 125i also gets the ‘sensatec’ upholstery, as well as a high-resolution 6.5 inch screen, an upgraded navigation system with iDrive, and extended smartphone connectivity with voice control and Bluetooth audio streaming.The 116i, 118i and the 118d will now be equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the higher powered 125i and M125i receive an eight-speed sports automatic with launch control function as standard.The 125i will come standard with 18 inch double spoke alloy wheels, and sports line -- sports seats for driver and front passenger. The top of the line M135i M received the biggest revamp, with eight-speed sports automatic transmission, front and rear park distance control, a ‘Professional’ navigation system with touch controller function and internet functionality.BMW have restructured their option programme, grouping options into packages, which they say will simplify the choices for their customers, and reduce prices.Packages include the Convenience package -- available only in the 116i -- which comes with a rain sensor, anti dazzle interior mirror and extended smartphone connectivity.The Advanced Parking package combines BMW’s parking assistant feature, with front and rear parking distance sensors and a rear parking camera.The Visibility package comes with bi-xenon headlights, headlight washers, high-beam assistance, adaptive headlights and anti-dazzle exterior mirrors.Those who enjoy great acoustics can take advantage of the Premium Sound package. A Harman/Kardon sound system with a digital radio teams up with a ‘Professional’ navigation system, bringing high-quality sound and internet functionality.Fans of ride comfort can grab the comfort package, with electric seats, memory function, lumbar support, and seat heating for the front seats.Extra options such as metallic paint, sunroof, and leather upholstery are all still individually selectable.The BMW 1 Series begins production in July, arriving in showrooms from September.

Prices start from $56,262 for the 118d Convertible High-line. Limited to 25 units in each body style, the High-line Editions add up to $4000 of additional value and combine a number of exterior and interior premium aesthetic enhancements.Available in three exterior colours, Space Grey, Black Sapphire and the exclusive Mineral White, the 1 Series High-line Edition features unique 18 Double Spoke alloy wheels, Chrome line exterior, front kidney grille incorporating a chrome face and white sides on the vertical bars, dark chrome exhaust trims and, in the case of the Convertible, the Softtop roof comes in brown silver effect.The interior boasts Boston leather upholstery in Tabacco with Platinum contrast stitching for the seats and steering wheel, fineline stream interior trim, door sill trims with Edition designation and anthracite roof liner for the 1 Series Coupe.The value of this Limited Edition is further enhanced by the inclusion of the high demand Innovations package which features Business Navigation, Bi-Xenon Headlights and High-Beam Assist. 

Free M suspension and dress-up bits will help maintain BMW’s average of one in every two cars being sold with an M Sport pack.Anyone who picks up a 5 Series or Z4 between now and March 31 will get a free M Sport deal, which runs from stiffer suspension, lightweight wheels and an aero package to sports seats, alloy interior highlights and a leather-wrapped sports steering wheel. That’s a saving of up to $7900 on the entry level BMW 520i.Buyers of a 1 or 3 Series coupe and convertible will gain the same tweaks, along with differing alloys and gloss-black kidney-bar grilles rear light surrounds and for 1 Series buyers. Step up to a 3 Series and the deal includes chrome kidney-bar grilles, metallic paint as a no-cost option, sports seats, alloy pedals and black-backed exterior mirrors.BMW has dubbed the promotion the “Festival of M” and says the savings range from $2500 to $7900. BMW spokesman Scott Croaker says it isn’t so much of a run-out as it is a value adjustment as the model dates.“The 1 and 3 Series coupe and convertible won’t be run out until the end of the year and the upgrades reflect the corporate policy of adding value as the vehicles near the end of their production run, Croaker notes. “The specific M Sport offer recognises that 50 per cent of our customers already take the option and reacting to that.”BMW is also selling a new X5 M Sport Limited Edition based on the three-litre turbodiesel. The pack costs $99,000 driveaway against a regular $72,600 price for the 30d and adds a body kit, 20-inch alloys, chrome tailpipe, auto tailgate and bi-xenon headlamps with high-beam assist. BMW says it adds more than $15,000 to the donor car.

There are still camo stickers but the shape is clear, including the extra side window added beneath the new curving roof. It's the latest BMW crossover coupe after the X6 and 5 GT but won't be the last. 

The 135i will sit at the top of a selection of three-door Ones picking up a turbocharged six-cylinder engine good for 230 kiloWatts and predictable suspension and tyre tweaks.The three-door hot is here later this year for around $60,000.